St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-10
THE CHLoRoFoRMlsTs.
A New and Successful Develop
ment of Crime in France.

ment of Crime in France.
The chloroformists, as they are called,
are the aristocracy of the criminal race.
They are generally broken-down society
men, and very often medical students
who have gone to the bad after having
learned, in the course of their studies,
the properties of narcotics and an3S-
thetics. Their chief fields of operation
are the railway carriages and the h0-
tells, the compartment system of the
former giving them every facility for
earring out their designs. Their
method of proceeding in the last in
stance is as follows: He seeks what
is technically known as his portfolio"
Il. e., a rich traveller who affords profit
able opportunities for the exercise of his
skill. He goes to look for him at the
railway station Of one of the long lines,
such as the Paris, Lyons 81 Mediterra-
mean road. He watches each person
that approaches the ticket Office to buy
a ticket, and selects some one who
shows, On opening his pocketbook, a
goodly collection of bank notes. The
chloroformist buys ticket for the same
destination, takes seat in the same
compartment, gets into conversation
with his fellOw-traveler, and finally ends
H..
He was to have been accompanied
by friend, he says, but
at the last moment he received
a telegram (Which he produces)
announcing that the friena had been
hindered from departing at the last mo-
ment. That is why he has a stock of
provisions for two persons, two silver
cups, etc. He offers to share his supper
with his new acquaintance. If the offer
is accepted, the wine, which is heavily
drugged. soon sends the traveller to
sleep. If, ON the contrary, it is refused,
the chlOroformist partakeS heartily of
solitary meal, and winds up by lighting
a cigar, offering at the same time his
cigar-case to his companion, who, not to
seem rude or churlish in the presence of
such genial friendlineSS, almost inya-
riably accepts cigar. 1t is prepared
with strong narcotic, as the wine had
been, and the unlucky traveller is soon
plunged in heavy stupor. The chloro-
formist opens his phial and places it for
few moments under the noStrils of the
sleeper, gently applying to the mouth
at the same time a sheet of fine parch-
ment, known as the ''Stifier," and hay
ing the shape of carnival mask, it's
function being the exclusion of the
outer air. The victim is soon rendered
wholly insensible by the vapor of the
chloroform. The thief then commences
operations in perfect safety. He takes
possession of the pocketbOok and
empties it of its bank notes, replacing
few of the smallest value. He then
puts it back in the pocket from which
he had taken it, removes the parchment
mask from the face of the sleeper,
and, leaving the victims Jew
elry and coined money untouched,
of OF
the next station. The motive of leaving
his victim in possession of his jewelry
and portemonnaie is two fold. If the
traveller, on awakening, finds that his
watch and chain and his supply of coin
are all right, he does not usually inveS-
tigate his pOcketbook, so the theft has
chance of remaining undiscovered for
several hours or even days. He may,tOo,
attribute the loss of his bank notes to
piece of careleSSneSS, or to a mistake on
his part. If, on the other hand. as often
happens, he does not wake at all, but dies
from the effects of the narcotic and the
chloroform, the authorities, finding
themselves in the presence of a corpse
presenting not the slightest trace of viO-
lence, and with money, papers and val
uableS apparently undlSturbed, can only
attribute the deceaSe to natural causes.
1t is a startling fact that cases of sudden
death in the cars of the great French
railways have of late become singularly
frequent.
The chloroform that plays so import
ant a part in this form of crime is con-
tanned in very small fiat phial of black
glass, which can easily be concealed and
readily gotten rid of in case of capture.
According to our author, band of chic
roformists was recently organized in
Chicago.